and bribes and intercessions vanished, and mutual assistance and help among the people ceased (1), and judgment belonged solely to the Just, the Compeller, in Whose presence intercessors and helpers are of no avail; so He recompenses an evil deed with its like, and a good deed with multiples thereof. That is comparable to the statement of Him, majestic be His praise: {And stop them; indeed, they are to be questioned. What is [the matter] with you that you do not help each other? But they, that Day, are in surrender} [Al-Ṣāffāt: 24-26]. And Ibn ʿAbbās used to say regarding the meaning of {that you do not help each other}: what—

887 - I was informed on the authority of al-Minjāb, who said: Bishr ibn ʿUmāra narrated to us, from Abū Rawq, from al-Ḍaḥḥāk, from Ibn ʿAbbās: {What is [the matter] with you that you do not help each other}: What is [the matter] with you that you do not defend one another against us? Far from it, that is not for you today! (2)

Some of them said regarding the meaning of His statement: {nor will they be helped}: They will have no helper from God on that Day to defend them against God when He punishes them. And it was said: nor will they be helped through seeking on their behalf, intercession, or ransom.

Abū Jaʿfar said: The first view is more appropriate for the Interpretation of the verse because of what we described—that God, majestic be His praise, merely informed those addressed by this verse that the Day of Resurrection is a Day wherein there is no ransom for whoever among His creation deserves His punishment, nor intercession therein, nor any helper for him. That is because such things used to exist for them in the worldly life, so He informed them that such is nonexistent on the Day of Resurrection, with no way for them to attain it.